Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Indonesia floods were ‘extinction level’ disturbance for rare orangutan species

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:42:26 +0000

Conservationists fear up to 11% of Tapanuli population perished in disaster that also killed 1,000 people

Indonesia’s deadly flooding was an “extinction-level disturbance” for the world’s rarest great ape, the Tapanuli orangutan, causing catastrophic damage to its habitat and survival prospects, scientists warned on Friday.

Only scientifically classified as a species in 2017, Tapanulis are incredibly rare, with fewer than 800 left in the wild, confined to a small range in part of Indonesia’s Sumatra.

‘Soil is more important than oil’: inside the perennial grain revolution

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:00:05 +0000

Scientists in Kansas believe Kernza could cut emissions, restore degraded soils and reshape the future of agriculture

On the concrete floor of a greenhouse in rural Kansas stands a neat grid of 100 plastic plant pots, each holding a straggly crown of strappy, grass-like leaves. These plants are perennials – they keep growing, year after year. That single characteristic separates them from soya beans, wheat, maize, rice and every other major grain crop, all of which are annuals: plants that live and die within a single growing season.

The Paris climate treaty changed the world. Here’s how | Rebecca Solnit

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:00:34 +0000

There’s much more to do, but we should be encouraged by the progress we have made

EA to spend millions clearing Oxfordshire illegal waste mountain in break with policy

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:47:03 +0000

Announcement draws anger from Labour MP over refusal to remove tonnes of rubbish dumped near school in Wigan

The Environment Agency is to spend millions of pounds to clear an enormous illegal rubbish dump in Oxfordshire, saying the waste is at risk of catching fire.

Hightailing along high streets and raiding ponds: otters’ revival in Britain

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:00:33 +0000

Still rare only 20 years ago, the charismatic animals are in almost every UK river and a conservation success story

Week in wildlife: a baby echidna, a 600lb gator and an ‘unbearable’ bear

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 08:00:37 +0000

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world

New fossils in Qatar reveal a tiny sea cow hidden for 21 million years

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 07:58:26 +0000

Fossils from Qatar have revealed a small, newly identified sea cow species that lived in the Arabian Gulf more than 20 million years ago. The site contains the densest known collection of fossil sea cow bones, showing that these animals once thrived in rich seagrass meadows. Their ecological role mirrors that of modern dugongs, which still reshape the Gulf’s seafloor as they graze. The findings may help researchers understand how seagrass ecosystems respond to long-term environmental change.

Air passengers exposed to extremely high levels of ultrafine particle pollution, study finds

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:00:37 +0000

Levels during boarding and taxiing were far above those defined as high by the World Health Organization

A study has revealed the concentrations of ultrafine particles breathed in by airline passengers.

A team of French researchers, including those from Université Paris Cité, built a pack of instruments that was flown alongside passengers from Paris Charles de Gaulle to European destinations. The machinery was placed on an empty seat in the front rows or in the galley.

Health and safety rules holding UK infrastructure back, says writer of government report

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:00:35 +0000

Exclusive: John Fingleton says regulators need to change their attitude to risk to end the country’s economic stagnation

Overbearing health and safety rules are stopping Britain building new infrastructure, according to the economist whom Keir Starmer has cited as an inspiration for his growth strategy.

Climate protesters win groundbreaking class action against Victoria police over use of capsicum spray

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 02:19:03 +0000

Potentially precedent-setting case brought after Jordan Brown hit with capsicum spray outside mining and resources conference in Melbourne in 2019

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